A full preparation sheet
Before a game, a coach writes a plan: what we want, what we will not accept, and what the other team might do. A negotiation also needs a plan on paper.
- Before this course: Negotiation Basics (course 2.14). You already know BATNA, walk-away point, target, ZOPA, anchoring and the "if... then" trade. This course puts them into one preparation sheet and a real negotiation.
- Harvard's Program on Negotiation (PON) publishes a preparation checklist of 32 questions grouped around your own position, the other side's position, and the process.
- Your side: your goals, strengths and weaknesses, your BATNA, your reservation point (your walk-away) and your aspiration point (your target).
- Their side: their interests, their likely reservation point and BATNA, and whether a zone of possible agreement (ZOPA) exists.
- Process: who decides, who else is involved, and whether you can discuss several issues at the same time.
- A sheet is a guess. Update it when you learn new facts.
- Choose a real upcoming negotiation (a price, rent, a deadline, a work agreement).
- Make three headings on one page: Me, Them, Process.
- Under Me, write your goals, strengths, weaknesses, BATNA, walk-away point and target.
- Under Them, write your best guess of their interests, BATNA and walk-away point, and write "guess" next to each.
- Under Process, write who decides, when the talk happens, and which issues are open (price, dates, extras).
- Write the ZOPA if you can: the overlap between what you would accept and what they would accept.
- Check: every line is either a fact or marked "guess", and your walk-away is not worse than your BATNA.
Videos by other creators on YouTube, for reference. They are not made by or affiliated with The Future Market.
Read the video script
[Host] "Most of a negotiation happens before the meeting."
[Text on screen: Me, Them, Process] "Make a page with three headings: me, them, and process."
[Screen: BATNA, walk-away and target filled in] "Write your alternative, your walk-away point and your target."
[Host] "Then write what you think they want. Mark every guess as a guess."
Fill in a Me, Them, Process sheet for a real or practice negotiation. Mark your guesses.
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I'm learning "Negotiation Skills: preparing and making deals" on The Future Market. Lesson 1: "A full preparation sheet". What the lesson teaches: - Before this course: Negotiation Basics (course 2.14). You already know BATNA, walk-away point, target, ZOPA, anchoring and the "if... then" trade. This course puts them into one preparation sheet and a real negotiation. - Harvard's Program on Negotiation (PON) publishes a preparation checklist of 32 questions grouped around your own position, the other side's position, and the process. - Your side: your goals, strengths and weaknesses, your BATNA, your reservation point (your walk-away) and your aspiration point (your target). - Their side: their interests, their likely reservation point and BATNA, and whether a zone of possible agreement (ZOPA) exists. - Process: who decides, who else is involved, and whether you can discuss several issues at the same time. - A sheet is a guess. Update it when you learn new facts. The exercise I'm working on: Fill in a Me, Them, Process sheet for a real or practice negotiation. Mark your guesses. I'm stuck. Please: 1. Explain the main idea in plain, simple words with one everyday example. 2. Walk me through the exercise one small step at a time. Ask me what I've done so far before giving the next step. 3. Don't just give me the final answer. Help me do it myself, and check my work when I share it.
I'm a parent helping my child (about 8 years old) with a lesson called "A full preparation sheet" from the course "Negotiation Skills: preparing and making deals". Here's what the lesson says: Before a game, a coach writes a plan: what we want, what we will not accept, and what the other team might do. A negotiation also needs a plan on paper. The activity: Fill in a Me, Them, Process sheet for a real or practice negotiation. Mark your guesses. Please explain this so an 8-year-old understands: short sentences, a fun everyday example, and no hard words. Then give me 3 simple questions I can ask my child to check they understood, and a way to do the activity together, one tiny step at a time.
Sources
- Harvard Program on Negotiation, A Negotiation Preparation Checklist: www.pon.harvard.edu/daily/negotiation-skills-daily/negotiation-prepara
Interests behind positions
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Trading across several issues
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Planning your concessions
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Pressure, emotions and fair standards
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Clear wording and written agreements
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Running the real negotiation and the debrief
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Final project
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Quiz
What is the difference between a position and an interest?
A position is what someone says they want; an interest is the reason behind it.
What is logrolling?
Trading across issues: giving up something you value less for something you value more.
Why keep several issues open at the same time?
Settling them one at a time removes the trade-offs that create value.
How should concessions change over time?
They should get smaller, to signal you are near your limit.
Why label a concession?
So the other side notices it cost you something and may give something back.
What should you do if the other side stays silent after your offer?
Wait; do not retract the offer or add more concessions.
What are objective criteria?
Fair, shared standards both sides accept, such as market prices or comparable deals.
What should you do if the best offer is below your walk-away point?
Leave politely and use your BATNA.
Name two things a good written recap includes.
For example price, what is included, dates, payment terms and the next step.
Name one debrief question.
For example: what did I get compared with my target, what did I learn about their interests, what will I change?
Final exam
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Certificate
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